Change Your Stripes with Dr Matt Moody, Ph.D., Social Psychologist

Excerpts from Changing Your Stripes, 2nd Edition

The problem that you don't know you've got a problem, . . . now that's a problem!!
A Self-Perpetuating Problem. You will act according to the Animal You Are until you Change Your Stripes and Become a New Kind of Creature.

* * * * *
The tone and temper of all Reaction and Response
inevitably depends upon the disposition of the
perceiver—the core of your character.
.* * * * *

This is why Changing Your Stripes is such a vital project: Your own disposition of character is a constraint to obtaining your own best interests in life—it's the old “you-are-your-own-worst-enemy” dilemma. Though the rhetoric of “free to choose” runs rampant in pitches of positive mental attitude and “I'm here to pump you up” paradigms, the stark reality is this: people are only as free as their character will allow.

In other words, impatience people are NOT free to be patient and kind—especially under the press of distress—until they experience a fundamental change from their core. (Changing Your Stripes, 2nd Edition, page 7)

* * * * *
It's not What Happens to you in Life, but how
You Respond to “What Happens” that matters most;
oppressive people may compel your flesh, but no power
on earth can force you from Inner Liberty—
it is yours to lose or keep.
.* * * * *

In life, the color and character of your response is all important. The way that you react is a reflection of who you are from your core; your reactions reveal the depths of heart and soul. Responding well to life's most challenging moments leads to contented living. Who You Are from the heart defines whether poisoned or positive emotions will flow from you in a pressing moment. For this reason, Changing Your Stripes is a project of paramount importance.

Can you see the intrinsic trap before you? The very condition of your disposition is naturally self-perpetuating. You tend to reinforce "who you are" today . . . because "who you are" presently IS the one doing the thinking, perceiving, responding . . . and choosing! This is why people behave in consistent patterns of habit. How can you possibly think fresh new thoughts using your stale old mindset?
(Changing Your Stripes, 2nd Edition, page 16)

Dr Matt also call this bind of the mind, the Migraine Mental Block!!
Einstein's Mind Bind. Impaired perceptions inevitably lead to flawed solutions. The reason why people do not—and sometimes cannot—find their way out of a problem is explained by a conundrum I call, "Einstein's Mind Bind." In short, you can't change your mind . . . using the same mind that needs changing; neither can you fix a situation, using a mind that needs fixing. Here's how this bind of the mind . . . was stated by Einstein:

* * * * *
"We cannot solve our problems
at the same level of thinking which existed
when the problem was created."
.* * * * *

This means, in order to solve any problem, a paradigm shift is required! A shift from the way of thinking that was capable of creating a problem in the first place . . . to a way of thinking that can perceive a new perspective. Further, thinking that you can solve Life’s most important problems with your “thinking,” is itself a problem.

When confronted with a crucial issue, some will say, “I need to figure things out, I need a strategy.” Using your head is a good approach for solving problems of algebra, but not for solving problems of anguish. The mental mindset used to create an interpersonal problem cannot be used to solve it. As long as the head remains disconnected from the heart, people will proceed to solve their problems in precisely the wrong way; they will be beset with a blinding mental block that breeds more perplexity.

But from whence comes a mindset capable of creating chaos? It could be a function of shear ignorance—that’s one possibility—and the other source is betrayal.
(Changing Your Stripes, 2nd Edition, page 175)

All the Telltale Signs are identified in Dr Matt's book: Changing Your Stripes!
Tell-Tale Signs of Betrayal. Betrayal is a word to describe moments when a human being is out of harmony with his or her own sense of truth. As Shakespeare expressed, "To thine own self be true, therefore thou canst not be false to any man." Betrayal means being false to yourself, as well as to others. When you go against your own sense of goodness, you lose Life's inherent harmony; inner conflict is created and outward signs seep to the surface.

* * * * *
When I go against my own sense of Truth,
I go against myself, . . . I am false.
Being false, the way I experience the world is colored by my falseness:
I see darkness in my world, because of the darkness in me.
My thinking, my emotions, and how I behave
are all tainted by betrayal.
My search for solutions is skewed;
It is wrong, . . . . because I am wrong.
.* * * * *

A thorough understanding of the tell-tale signs of betrayal can provide awareness sufficient to catch yourself and correct your course. The patterns are predictable and observable; they are signs central to the aim of Un-Doing! Seeing these signs in yourself will provide a huge clue . . . to what you need to Un-Do.
(Changing Your Stripes, 2nd Edition, page 173).

Dr Matt says: "The Tell-Tale Signs of Betrayal are described in detail in my book!"

If you're serious about Changing Stripes, you need to
Put your Peepers on the Words in My Book.

You'll be so much smarter and happier if you do!

When you Undo the betrayals that obstruct the flow of Inner Goodness . . . then the Do will naturally flow from you!
A Simple Solution: Un-Doing. You've heard the phrase "this will be their undoing." Typically, an undoing is a bad thing: unraveling, falling apart, or breaking up—all these are bad. But consider a type of undoing that is good. The truth is that recovering early innocence is actually more a matter of undoing, than of doing. In the process of Changing Your Stripes, you don't do it: You Un-Do It!

Solutions could be pursued with the complexity of what we “think” we need to accomplish: Investing mental energies into a myriad of things to “do” in an arduous effort to become prominent or magnificent. But this is to begin wrong and enter into the issue incorrectly! Instead, our focus need only be on the things that need . . . Un-Doing. One step at a time, line upon line, we simply need to Un-Do the NEXT thing.

* * * * *
Letting the Real Me Emerge is not something
I "make" happen, but something I "let" happen.
.* * * * *

Because you are fundamentally good by nature, you don't really need to try to be good or learn to be good; instead, your task is simply to recapture the goodness that is inherently IN YOU. At birth you began as a being of love: You were naturally generous and sharing, . . . naturally bright and cheerful. But as you matured in worldly ways, through bad examples and unloving influences, you learned to NOT be "who you are" from your core. You learned to be different from who you would be if only you had not betrayed your own spontaneous spark of goodness.

When we fail to follow the intuitions of innocence that flow freely from the Heart, we betray the truth within us—we go against ourselves! Each "betrayal" creates an obstruction to the flow of life-giving goodness that wells within. As we betray our own intuitions, the natural flow of loving tendencies is blocked and as that stream is stifled, we begin to behave badly. Unblocking that flow IS the focus of Un-Doing.
(Changing Your Stripes, 2nd Edition, page 168).

BRIAR Emotions are identified in Dr Matt's book: Changing Your Stripes!
Feelings that are False: BRIAR Emotions. When people are not embroiled in betrayal, they display peaceful emotions in their bodies and upon their faces. Their integrity of character is evidenced by a calm and contented countenance--an absence of agitated emotions. In betrayal, certain Tell-Tale Signs seep to the surface and are outwardly expressed, but what always brews beneath these outward signs are anxious and unsettled emotions:

* * * * *
You can lie with your MOUTH or EMOTION:
"When you're in the BRIAR, . . . You're a LIAR."
.* * * * *

While the lies from our lips are more obvious, lies can also be "told" without words. Resentful and accusing emotions are nonverbal lies that we live, . . . wordless emotional lies that are more subtle and insidious. As we harbor irritated and tense emotions, we are caught in the thorny mire . . . of the BRIAR.

The BRIAR represents Lies that we "tell" via Emotion.
The BRIAR represents Lies that we Live!

These unsettled emotions show in our very countenance; they reveal our betrayal of Truth. Because these feelings are false, we are Being False as we harbor them. BRIAR Emotions are yet another set of tell-tale signs that signal the loss of Life's inherent harmony.

* * * * *
When I am False . . . I feel
Tension, Agitation . . . Disharmony.
My Unsettled Emotions signal falseness.
When I am True, I am at Peace;
the Peace that flows freely
signifies Harmony.
.* * * * *
(Changing Your Stripes, 2nd Edition, page 195)

Dr Matt says: "BRIAR Emotions are identified in my book!"

The Voice of the Light is heard in the Light!
The Light of Innocence. When I am physically cold, if I move from the shadows of darkness into the rays of the sun, I become warm again . . . naturally and consistently. When cold, the Sun warms me as I walk into the Light.

When my soul is cold, chilled with the bitterness of resentment and blame, I can move from the shadows of dark emotions into the Light of Inner Innocence, and there I find a gentle contentment that melts my cold emotions. Like the shining rays of the Sun, the Light within illuminates the way. The Light of Innocence guides me to the warmth of Inner Peace.

* * * * *
I must move from the shadows and find
a place where warmth and peace caress me.
Walk in the Light and I am warmed by peaceful radiance.
Walk in the Light and I can clearly hear the Whisperings of the Light.
.* * * * *

As I align myself to my own sense of what is good—my Intuitions of Inner Innocence—I restore harmony and balance to Life, I return to the way I began. Being True means I am aligned to this Light of Innocence. Entering into this warm and peaceful Light naturally relieves me from the chill of darkness: cold emotions depart . . . clarity enters in.
(Changing Your Stripes, 2nd Edition, page 162).

Thinking that emoitional scars never heal is a FLAT EARTH Assumption!
The Myth of Emotional Scars. Years after experiencing a trauma, some continue to claim emotional pain due to that difficulty; they blame their present pain upon a past aggravating event. In their mind, they think the past situation "caused" the pain they still feel years later. This could be the case if bodily contact occurred and physical damage was done, but if the pain is purely emotional, then the principles governing this "pain" are different.

Obviously, the idea of emotional scars got its impetus from the tangible reality of physical scarring. Physical scars occur when bodies are battered or broken, and as they heal, the evidence of abuse or accident remains in the flesh. The theory behind "emotional scarring" is similar, but it is the inner person that is battered and broken; thus, the parallel assumption is that emotional scars—like physical scars—leave a "mark" that never goes away.

* * * * *
The physical flesh has its own realm of reaction,
uniquely different from the emotional realm of reaction;
while it’s commonly assumed that “emotional scars”
never completely heal and never go away,
such is a Flat-Earth Assumption.
.* * * * *

For a victim to conclude, “I’ve been emotionally scarred for life” is comparable to this false alarm: “Help, I’m falling off the edge of the earth!” When we get completely clear about Cause as opposed to Constraint (see page 3), we see that it is impossible for a situation to “cause” emotional pain after the initiating event no longer exists—just as water can no longer flow from a faucet when the valve has been shut off.
(Changing Your Stripes, 2nd Edition, page 224).

Dr Matt knows the key to Healing Emotional Scars. "Changing Your Stripes" details what must be done to make Emotional Scars completely disappear.

If you're serious about Changing Stripes, you need to
Put your Peepers on the Words in My Book.

By applying the Principles in my Book,
all emotional scars that keep you from living
your Best Life, will heal and completely disappear.

It's hard to believe, but YES you really can Change The Past!
Changing the Past. The phenomenon of emotional scarring is the residual suffering that remains AFTER the inflicting faucet has been shut off. Today's "re-membering of the past" is informed and fed by the person you've become from the time a past trauma occurred . . . to the present day—the day in which you do your re-membering.

It is said, "the only constant is change!" Thus, you will always re-member "the past" differently as you continue to "change" in the present, as you progress or regress in maturity and character. Remember, perception is a function of what you learned lately, so emotional marks necessarily change over time, as YOU change over time.

* * * * *
While there are Physical Realities
that exist independent of how you perceive them,
still, the only World you know is the one that you experience
through your Interpretations, from your Perspective.
As You Change, Your Perspective Changes.
As You Change, the Past Changes.
.* * * * *
(Changing Your Stripes, 2nd Edition, page 244)

Dr Matt says: "Changing Your Stripes has much more to say about
Changing The Past—as well as offering insights on dozens of other vital topics.
But, to GET what my book describes, you will need a new way of seeing—a paradigm shift—which only happens in concert with a fundamental change in your way of being. That change from your core is: Changing Your Stripes.

* * * * *
The Greatest Prize
for Life's labors isn't
in material possessions
or impressive accomplishments,
but in the progress of personal character.
You labor for your own becoming, this is your richest reward.
Who You Become is your greatest possession . . . make it your Masterpiece!
.* * * * *
(Changing Your Stripes, 2nd Edition, page 274)

Secular Psychology strives to find the biological bases for human behavior or the environmental causes; both are a bad beginning. !
It's-Not-Your-Fault Psychology. Many therapies for solving life’s ever-appearing problems come from the traditions of secular psychology; perspectives that foster an inferior starting point, a poor premise:

"What is it about my bad biology, my bad brain chemistry, and/or
my bad upbringing that “causes” the misery in which I am mired?"

Because the origins for human problems are assumed to be “caused” by physical factors in the body or by a bad environment, I call this kind of science:

It’s-Not-Your-Fault Psychology

Ironically, the very institution that you look to for healing and happiness often enables you to reject personal response-ability, and instead encourages people to blame bad behavior on their bad upbringing or their bad biology.

Convenient excuses come via dubious diagnoses of disorders that people purportedly “come down with” like physical diseases: Bi-Polar, A.D.D., P.T.S.D., O.C.D., etc.

And if a disorder . . . is not in order, the science of Excuse-Making Psychology will assist you in blaming your misery of mind and emotion upon the influence of unfit parents, or inappropriate peers. Regardless of the diagnosis, the bottom-line for this kind of science is: It’s not your fault! (Changing Your Stripes, 2nd Edition, page xi)

Social Psychology offers a superior perspective compared to the stale traditions of secular psychology!
A Superior Premise for Satisfying Solutions. We live in an excuse-making society that entices us to blame someone else or something else . . . for the irritable and sometimes insane reactions that come out of us. The truth is that personal happiness is found in the exact opposite direction from excuse and blame.

When you can fully own your responses of mind and emotion, you can live free from the self-imposed prison of a victim’s mentality--even though victimized. Even amid bodily ailments and environmental adversities, as you Change Your Stripes, you will enjoy the victor’s view; and you will increase in strength of character "directly because" of tough times—not just "in spite" of them.

A superior premise begins by focusing upon the dynamics of the present moment; what is happening NOW in terms of your Response-Ability—your ability to choose Love instead all other responses that fall short of Love, and your ability to respond in ways that will build strength of character instead of make you something less.

The reality of life is this: Any response coming out of you that is Less-Than-Love is a response that will diminish your personal peace and limit your best life as a human being.
(Changing Your Stripes, 2nd Edition, page xiii)

If you peruse the Table of Contents of "Changing Your Stripes," The Manual or
The Book, you will see the particular topics that will explain and enhance your life.
.

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Excerpts from Changing Your Stripes, 2nd Edition
The problem that you don't know you've got a problem, . . . now that's a problem!! A Self-Perpetuating Problem. You will act according to the Animal You Are until you Change Your Stripes and Become a New Kind of Creature. * * * * * The tone and temper of all Reaction and Response inevitably depends upon the disposition of the perceiver—the core of your character. .* * * * * This is why Changing Your Stripes is such a vital project: Your own disposition of character is a constraint to obtaining your own best interests in life—it's the old “you-are-your-own-worst-enemy” dilemma. Though the rhetoric of “free to choose” runs rampant in pitches of positive mental attitude and “I'm here to pump you up” paradigms, the stark reality is this: people are only as free as their character will allow. In other words, impatience people are NOT free to be patient and kind—especially under the press of distress—until they experience a fundamental change from their core. (Changing Your Stripes, 2nd Edition, page 7) * * * * * It's not What Happens to you in Life, but how You Respond to “What Happens” that matters most; oppressive people may compel your flesh, but no power on earth can force you from Inner Liberty— it is yours to lose or keep. .* * * * * In life, the color and character of your response is all important. The way that you react is a reflection of who you are from your core; your reactions reveal the depths of heart and soul. Responding well to life's most challenging moments leads to contented living. Who You Are from the heart defines whether poisoned or positive emotions will flow from you in a pressing moment. For this reason, Changing Your Stripes is a project of paramount importance. Can you see the intrinsic trap before you? The very condition of your disposition is naturally self-perpetuating. You tend to reinforce "who you are" today . . . because "who you are" presently IS the one doing the thinking, perceiving, responding . . . and choosing! This is why people behave in consistent patterns of habit. How can you possibly think fresh new thoughts using your stale old mindset? (Changing Your Stripes, 2nd Edition, page 16) Dr Matt also call this bind of the mind, the Migraine Mental Block!! Einstein's Mind Bind. Impaired perceptions inevitably lead to flawed solutions. The reason why people do not—and sometimes cannot—find their way out of a problem is explained by a conundrum I call, "Einstein's Mind Bind." In short, you can't change your mind . . . using the same mind that needs changing; neither can you fix a situation, using a mind that needs fixing. Here's how this bind of the mind . . . was stated by Einstein: * * * * * "We cannot solve our problems at the same level of thinking which existed when the problem was created." .* * * * * This means, in order to solve any problem, a paradigm shift is required! A shift from the way of thinking that was capable of creating a problem in the first place . . . to a way of thinking that can perceive a new perspective. Further, thinking that you can solve Life’s most important problems with your “thinking,” is itself a problem. When confronted with a crucial issue, some will say, “I need to figure things out, I need a strategy.” Using your head is a good approach for solving problems of algebra, but not for solving problems of anguish. The mental mindset used to create an interpersonal problem cannot be used to solve it. As long as the head remains disconnected from the heart, people will proceed to solve their problems in precisely the wrong way; they will be beset with a blinding mental block that breeds more perplexity. But from whence comes a mindset capable of creating chaos? It could be a function of shear ignorance—that’s one possibility—and the other source is betrayal. (Changing Your Stripes, 2nd Edition, page 175) All the Telltale Signs are identified in Dr Matt's book: Changing Your Stripes! Tell-Tale Signs of Betrayal. Betrayal is a word to describe moments when a human being is out of harmony with his or her own sense of truth. As Shakespeare expressed, "To thine own self be true, therefore thou canst not be false to any man." Betrayal means being false to yourself, as well as to others. When you go against your own sense of goodness, you lose Life's inherent harmony; inner conflict is created and outward signs seep to the surface. * * * * * When I go against my own sense of Truth, I go against myself, . . . I am false. Being false, the way I experience the world is colored by my falseness: I see darkness in my world, because of the darkness in me. My thinking, my emotions, and how I behave are all tainted by betrayal. My search for solutions is skewed; It is wrong, . . . . because I am wrong. .* * * * * A thorough understanding of the tell-tale signs of betrayal can provide awareness sufficient to catch yourself and correct your course. The patterns are predictable and observable; they are signs central to the aim of Un-Doing! Seeing these signs in yourself will provide a huge clue . . . to what you need to Un-Do. (Changing Your Stripes, 2nd Edition, page 173). Dr Matt says: "The Tell-Tale Signs of Betrayal are described in detail in my book!" If you're serious about Changing Stripes, you need to Put your Peepers on the Words in My Book. You'll be so much smarter and happier if you do! When you Undo the betrayals that obstruct the flow of Inner Goodness . . . then the Do will naturally flow from you! A Simple Solution: Un-Doing. You've heard the phrase "this will be their undoing." Typically, an undoing is a bad thing: unraveling, falling apart, or breaking up—all these are bad. But consider a type of undoing that is good. The truth is that recovering early innocence is actually more a matter of undoing, than of doing. In the process of Changing Your Stripes, you don't do it: You Un-Do It! Solutions could be pursued with the complexity of what we “think” we need to accomplish: Investing mental energies into a myriad of things to “do” in an arduous effort to become prominent or magnificent. But this is to begin wrong and enter into the issue incorrectly! Instead, our focus need only be on the things that need . . . Un-Doing. One step at a time, line upon line, we simply need to Un-Do the NEXT thing. * * * * * Letting the Real Me Emerge is not something I "make" happen, but something I "let" happen. .* * * * * Because you are fundamentally good by nature, you don't really need to try to be good or learn to be good; instead, your task is simply to recapture the goodness that is inherently IN YOU. At birth you began as a being of love: You were naturally generous and sharing, . . . naturally bright and cheerful. But as you matured in worldly ways, through bad examples and unloving influences, you learned to NOT be "who you are" from your core. You learned to be different from who you would be if only you had not betrayed your own spontaneous spark of goodness. When we fail to follow the intuitions of innocence that flow freely from the Heart, we betray the truth within us—we go against ourselves! Each "betrayal" creates an obstruction to the flow of life-giving goodness that wells within. As we betray our own intuitions, the natural flow of loving tendencies is blocked and as that stream is stifled, we begin to behave badly. Unblocking that flow IS the focus of Un-Doing. (Changing Your Stripes, 2nd Edition, page 168). BRIAR Emotions are identified in Dr Matt's book: Changing Your Stripes! Feelings that are False: BRIAR Emotions. When people are not embroiled in betrayal, they display peaceful emotions in their bodies and upon their faces. Their integrity of character is evidenced by a calm and contented countenance--an absence of agitated emotions. In betrayal, certain Tell-Tale Signs seep to the surface and are outwardly expressed, but what always brews beneath these outward signs are anxious and unsettled emotions: * * * * * You can lie with your MOUTH or EMOTION: "When you're in the BRIAR, . . . You're a LIAR." .* * * * * While the lies from our lips are more obvious, lies can also be "told" without words. Resentful and accusing emotions are nonverbal lies that we live, . . . wordless emotional lies that are more subtle and insidious. As we harbor irritated and tense emotions, we are caught in the thorny mire . . . of the BRIAR. The BRIAR represents Lies that we "tell" via Emotion. The BRIAR represents Lies that we Live! These unsettled emotions show in our very countenance; they reveal our betrayal of Truth. Because these feelings are false, we are Being False as we harbor them. BRIAR Emotions are yet another set of tell-tale signs that signal the loss of Life's inherent harmony. * * * * * When I am False . . . I feel Tension, Agitation . . . Disharmony. My Unsettled Emotions signal falseness. When I am True, I am at Peace; the Peace that flows freely signifies Harmony. .* * * * * (Changing Your Stripes, 2nd Edition, page 195) Dr Matt says: "BRIAR Emotions are identified in my book!" The Voice of the Light is heard in the Light! The Light of Innocence. When I am physically cold, if I move from the shadows of darkness into the rays of the sun, I become warm again . . . naturally and consistently. When cold, the Sun warms me as I walk into the Light. When my soul is cold, chilled with the bitterness of resentment and blame, I can move from the shadows of dark emotions into the Light of Inner Innocence, and there I find a gentle contentment that melts my cold emotions. Like the shining rays of the Sun, the Light within illuminates the way. The Light of Innocence guides me to the warmth of Inner Peace. * * * * * I must move from the shadows and find a place where warmth and peace caress me. Walk in the Light and I am warmed by peaceful radiance. Walk in the Light and I can clearly hear the Whisperings of the Light. .* * * * * As I align myself to my own sense of what is good—my Intuitions of Inner Innocence—I restore harmony and balance to Life, I return to the way I began. Being True means I am aligned to this Light of Innocence. Entering into this warm and peaceful Light naturally relieves me from the chill of darkness: cold emotions depart . . . clarity enters in. (Changing Your Stripes, 2nd Edition, page 162). Thinking that emoitional scars never heal is a FLAT EARTH Assumption! The Myth of Emotional Scars. Years after experiencing a trauma, some continue to claim emotional pain due to that difficulty; they blame their present pain upon a past aggravating event. In their mind, they think the past situation "caused" the pain they still feel years later. This could be the case if bodily contact occurred and physical damage was done, but if the pain is purely emotional, then the principles governing this "pain" are different. Obviously, the idea of emotional scars got its impetus from the tangible reality of physical scarring. Physical scars occur when bodies are battered or broken, and as they heal, the evidence of abuse or accident remains in the flesh. The theory behind "emotional scarring" is similar, but it is the inner person that is battered and broken; thus, the parallel assumption is that emotional scars—like physical scars—leave a "mark" that never goes away. * * * * * The physical flesh has its own realm of reaction, uniquely different from the emotional realm of reaction; while it’s commonly assumed that “emotional scars” never completely heal and never go away, such is a Flat-Earth Assumption. .* * * * * For a victim to conclude, “I’ve been emotionally scarred for life” is comparable to this false alarm: “Help, I’m falling off the edge of the earth!” When we get completely clear about Cause as opposed to Constraint (see page 3), we see that it is impossible for a situation to “cause” emotional pain after the initiating event no longer exists—just as water can no longer flow from a faucet when the valve has been shut off. (Changing Your Stripes, 2nd Edition, page 224). Dr Matt knows the key to Healing Emotional Scars. "Changing Your Stripes" details what must be done to make Emotional Scars completely disappear. If you're serious about Changing Stripes, you need to Put your Peepers on the Words in My Book. By applying the Principles in my Book, all emotional scars that keep you from living your Best Life, will heal and completely disappear. It's hard to believe, but YES you really can Change The Past! Changing the Past. The phenomenon of emotional scarring is the residual suffering that remains AFTER the inflicting faucet has been shut off. Today's "re-membering of the past" is informed and fed by the person you've become from the time a past trauma occurred . . . to the present day—the day in which you do your re-membering. It is said, "the only constant is change!" Thus, you will always re-member "the past" differently as you continue to "change" in the present, as you progress or regress in maturity and character. Remember, perception is a function of what you learned lately, so emotional marks necessarily change over time, as YOU change over time. * * * * * While there are Physical Realities that exist independent of how you perceive them, still, the only World you know is the one that you experience through your Interpretations, from your Perspective. As You Change, Your Perspective Changes. As You Change, the Past Changes. .* * * * * (Changing Your Stripes, 2nd Edition, page 244) Dr Matt says: "Changing Your Stripes has much more to say about Changing The Past—as well as offering insights on dozens of other vital topics. But, to GET what my book describes, you will need a new way of seeing—a paradigm shift—which only happens in concert with a fundamental change in your way of being. That change from your core is: Changing Your Stripes. * * * * * The Greatest Prize for Life's labors isn't in material possessions or impressive accomplishments, but in the progress of personal character. You labor for your own becoming, this is your richest reward. Who You Become is your greatest possession . . . make it your Masterpiece! .* * * * * (Changing Your Stripes, 2nd Edition, page 274) Secular Psychology strives to find the biological bases for human behavior or the environmental causes; both are a bad beginning. ! It's-Not-Your-Fault Psychology. Many therapies for solving life’s ever-appearing problems come from the traditions of secular psychology; perspectives that foster an inferior starting point, a poor premise: "What is it about my bad biology, my bad brain chemistry, and/or my bad upbringing that “causes” the misery in which I am mired?" Because the origins for human problems are assumed to be “caused” by physical factors in the body or by a bad environment, I call this kind of science: It’s-Not-Your-Fault Psychology Ironically, the very institution that you look to for healing and happiness often enables you to reject personal response-ability, and instead encourages people to blame bad behavior on their bad upbringing or their bad biology. Convenient excuses come via dubious diagnoses of disorders that people purportedly “come down with” like physical diseases: Bi-Polar, A.D.D., P.T.S.D., O.C.D., etc. And if a disorder . . . is not in order, the science of Excuse-Making Psychology will assist you in blaming your misery of mind and emotion upon the influence of unfit parents, or inappropriate peers. Regardless of the diagnosis, the bottom-line for this kind of science is: It’s not your fault! (Changing Your Stripes, 2nd Edition, page xi) Social Psychology offers a superior perspective compared to the stale traditions of secular psychology! A Superior Premise for Satisfying Solutions. We live in an excuse-making society that entices us to blame someone else or something else . . . for the irritable and sometimes insane reactions that come out of us. The truth is that personal happiness is found in the exact opposite direction from excuse and blame. When you can fully own your responses of mind and emotion, you can live free from the self-imposed prison of a victim’s mentality--even though victimized. Even amid bodily ailments and environmental adversities, as you Change Your Stripes, you will enjoy the victor’s view; and you will increase in strength of character "directly because" of tough times—not just "in spite" of them. A superior premise begins by focusing upon the dynamics of the present moment; what is happening NOW in terms of your Response-Ability—your ability to choose Love instead all other responses that fall short of Love, and your ability to respond in ways that will build strength of character instead of make you something less. The reality of life is this: Any response coming out of you that is Less-Than-Love is a response that will diminish your personal peace and limit your best life as a human being. (Changing Your Stripes, 2nd Edition, page xiii) If you peruse the Table of Contents of "Changing Your Stripes," The Manual or The Book, you will see the particular topics that will explain and enhance your life. .
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